Category: custom vending machines

Dr. Pepper From School and Office Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

school vending machinesDifferent parts of the country have different preferred soft drinks. In Georgia, they drink Coke. In Texas, they drink Dr. Pepper.

This soda is unlike any other. Brooklyn-born pharmacist Charles Alderton formulated the drink in Waco, TX in 1885, touting its 23 flavors on a national level by 1904. Today Dr. Pepper can be found in many school vending machines and office vending machines. No one knows what flavors were blended to create the unique taste, and many have speculated. And with so many possible factors, it’s impossible to know with certainty.

One thing’s for sure: Dr. Pepper is a tasty alternative to Coca-Cola. In fact, Coke knew this and tried naming what would eventually become Mr. Pibb, Peppo. Dr. Pepper sued them and they changed the name to Dr. Peppo, which they were sued for again, so it became the much less tasty Mr. Pibb.

It’s hard to classify Dr. Pepper, yet that is arguably what has helped it stay so successful throughout the years. Its myriad flavors are a great way to break from the regularity of a lemon lime soda or a cola and if you’re ever in Texas, you know what drink to choose from an office vending machine. Enjoy!

Retail Vending, 24/7

Posted on by John Van Horn

In a world that is seemingly wired in twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, it seems strange that there is ever a time where “stuff” is not available. What kind of stuff am I referring to? Every kind of stuff. It is 2011 and if I want to buy a skateboard at 1:45am on a Tuesday I should have that option.

It is this need for things whenever we want them that I think requires a rethinking of the way we use retail vending machines. If there were more automated retail machines in more places we could have a potential twenty-four/seven business opportunity. People could go shopping without the need to have a large facility or cashiers. They could simply browse the vending machines in particular areas of town where we know they would remain secure.

Retail vending machines could be the future of late night activities. Like going to a shopping mall with less hustle and bustle. A person could do most of their commerce all on their own and never be bothered. Sure some of us like the human touch of a customer service rep but for others this new model might work just perfectly. Who doesn’t like buying “stuff”?

Office Vending Machines Save Workers from the 3pm Lull

Posted on by John Van Horn

It’s about that time again, 3 pm to be precise, when time seems to stand still and a wave of tiredness hits you like a ton of bricks. (It’s actually what I’m experiencing at this precise moment.) Somehow, the entire day just catches up with you and it’s a struggle to keep your eyes open and to not have your head smash into the keyboard. Taking a quick stroll around the office does nothing. If anything, it’ll make you even more sleepy.

The solution (besides a 4th cup of coffee)? Food. Food, especially anything with caffeine and sugar, will push you through the next two hours of work. Office vending machines are a simple solution to the food problem and a great way to keep your employees productive. Workers don’t have to waste time during the day to head to a store for refreshments. Instead, they can find the perfect snack in the break room. Of course, not all office vending machines have to be loaded with just candy bars and soda. You can choose a mix of healthy items and treats to keep you and the rest of the office happy and, most importantly, awake.

Visit Intelligent Dispensing Solutions to learn more about custom vending machines and don’t let the “3 pm sleepies” keep you from doing your work.

Healthy Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

Public schools in New York have added a new healthy item to their vending machines: carrots.

But if you were eleven years old again and were going to spend a dollar on an after school snack, you probably wouldn’t want to eat carrots. You’d probably choose a Coke or a Snickers bar. These efforts to fight childhood obesity and begin children and adolescents on a healthier course early in life have been backed by legislation. Last year the federal Agriculture Department passed a law to set dietary standards by the end of 2012.

Some complain that the healthier options such as the $3 hummus or the $2 yogurt parfait, are too expensive when compared to the $1 bag of chips or candy bars found in most machines. Still this marks a vast departure from the vending machines of the past. About 6% of the nations vending machines are school vending machines found in high school and middle schools. Another 6% are found in colleges. I would have thought the percentage higher. And with these healthy trends continuing, it may be hard to find vending machines with the junk foods we were used to seeing while growing up.

But if it makes for a healthier nation, so be it.

Peanut Butter Snacks in School Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

custom vending machineIf you were in the middle of the SATs and you had ten minutes to get food, you would likely turn to school vending machines to satiate your hunger. But what would you get? Remember you have another two hours of testing. Potato chips? On an empty stomach? No way. A Hershey’s bar? And crash from the sugar low? Nice try.

You need energy. Non-crashable energy. Peanut butter. Snickers.

The gooey caramely, chocolatey delicious nougatey flavors all coalescing in your mouth to give you the pleasure of candy and the energy of a more serious snack…With that thing you can power through the rest of the test with ease.

Other options to consider are: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It doesn’t matter whether you pronounce them “Reesease” or “Reese is,” they’re also packed with energy, though perhaps aren’t as delicious.

And if you don’t like chocolate, and you’re nearby a custom peanut butter snack vending machine that has them, peanut butter crackers, the kind with the salt crystals on them, are delicious and hunger satiating.

It all comes down to personal preference. Some of us may not like nougat, some of us may like salty, some may prefer eating their candy as weirdly as possible. Whatever, it’s all made easy with snack vending machines in schools.

Coke in Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

vending machinesEvery morning I hear the crack of a Coke can being popped by my cubicle neighbor. Some people like orange juice in the morning, some people like milk, he likes Coke. I look over and jeer at him; we laugh it off. But deep down, I can’t blame him. I know that Coke is a product that will stand the test of time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Coke exists in vending machines in five hundred years.

Unless they change it a little. Or tax it into oblivion, an idea which Michael Bloomberg and Michelle Obama have kicked around in the past. But I doubt that will happen. Sure, they might make it more “natural” if you can’t taste the difference, but chances are Coke will be in vending machines of the future as it is today.

Coca-Cola has had a rich history since it’s invention. Back in 1886 it was believed that carbonated water was good for health, which is why Coca-Cola was found in pharmacies and soda fountains. When they tried changing the formula in 1985, to make New Coke in custom vending machines, the backlash was incredible. Southerners especially felt as though part of their regional identity had changed. By the early ’90s when the name changed to Coke II, it was already too late. People preferred their Coca-Cola Classic. This year, they dropped the Classic, because everybody knows there’s only one Coca-Cola.

Cheetos, Fritos and Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

vending machinesCheetos are a variety of potato chip- a corn chip, really. They are made with corn and cheese and are one of the more individual and delicious styles of chip. Chester Cheetah is the mascot for Cheetos. He speaks in a mid-Atlantic accent. Before Chester was the Cheetos Mouse who spoke the slogan, “Hail Chee-sar.” Pretty cheesy, right? The interpunct, the little dot that existed between Chee and tos, was dropped in the mid aughties. Because of a pork enzyme in these chips, Cheetos are tref. The crunchy ones are fried, the puffed are not, and as a result are less delicious.

Frito-Lay created Cheetos in the late ’40s. Fritos began in the ’30s, when Elmer Doolin paid $100 for the recipe after trying a bag of corn chips while eating lunch in San Antonio. He expanded his business hugely over the next ten years. The original ingredients are corn oil, whole corn, and salt. Today PepsiCo owns Fritos and Frito-Lay after a 1965 merger. Today Fritos corn chips are one of the more original chips you can find in automated retail vending machines. The barbecue ones are especially tasty.

Both Cheetos and Fritos are corn snacks, but they are very different from each other. The ingenuity of Americans, such as Mr. Doolin,  contributed to these delicious snacks we find in custom vending machines everywhere.

The Need for an Office Vending Machine

Posted on by John Van Horn

An office vending machine is a necessity in a large building. When two o’ clock comes, and the sugars from lunch run out, you feel a crash coming on. Or, if you went out for lunch and you’re locked in a food coma, lethargy weighs on you and work becomes a drag. Nothing perks the two o’ clock employee up like a quick rush of sugar or caffeine. And chances are you have a coffee pot (and some employees may be wary of their caffeine intake, afraid of addiction) so you might as well invest in an office vending machine.

That burst of energy from the chocolatey peanuts in a Snickers bar will allow you to power through to three o’ clock and then, with the end of the day in sight, onwards, onwards, to a late afternoon triumph of finishing work at a record pace, and feeling good like you earned it when the clock strikes five.

Yes, vending machines help boost the office morale. It gives people something to look forward to in the worst part of the day. So, if you don’t have one already, choose an office vending machine to make everything better for your workers.

The Days Of Bad-Content School Vending Machines Are OVER

Posted on by John Van Horn

The days of the rickety old school vending machines with a sour apple and a sugar daddies clanging around the insides are long gone at my school. Repairing and restocking my school’s old vending machine was a full time job. I am surprised I didn’t make the switch to the simpler IDS system earlier. IDS showed me how to please parents, teachers and even, students;all while maximizing profits.

My school’s vending machines where not winning any popularity contests with students, parents, or staff. Students complained about seeing the same popular sodas and candy bars sell out instantly. Parents complained about a lack of healthy options. Lastly, teachers complained the students couldn’t get school supplies out of the machines. We had four vending machines all stocked with sodas and candy bars, most of which were unpopular.

IDS listened to us and solved our problem. They eliminated the unpopular snacks and replaced them with healthy options. We used the space we saved getting rid of unpopular foods to find retail slots for school supplies like tape, pens, and scissors. Now my entire school board is happy with the results and the profits from our new vending machine inventory that avoids bad snacks.

IDS listened to my schools problem and tailored an affordable and practical solution, as I am sure they will do for your business.